Rigid Foam Insulation

If your house is not insulated properly, then you might have trouble dealing with the winter season, as cold air will surely go through your floors and walls. The same goes during summer, when too much heat steams through your house due to lack of insulation. That is the reason why insulating your house properly is of utmost importance, especially if you are living in a place where it can be extremely cold during winter and extremely hot during summer. If you want your house to have rigid foam insulation, the first thing that you need to know is the various types available for your home.

Molded Expanded Polystyrene

This type of insulation is known as closed-cell rigid foam, also commonly referred to as beadboard. This is a mixture of unexpanded and loose polystyrene beads as well as a blowing agent, which was heated in a container to allow the beads to expand. Once they do, these are injected into a mold before subjected to higher pressure and temperature, thus further expanding the form of the MEPS blocks and giving it its required shape.

MEPS should be dense enough when being used as a roofing material to prevent it from being damaged when someone walks on it. When used on walls, you may opt for the one with lower density. To insulate the hollow wall or block cavities, you may go for insulation with small beaded foams. With this, a vapor diffusion retarder has to be attached into the panels before the rigid foam insulation is installed.

Extruded Expanded Polystyrene

This is also a closed-cell insulation material. When manufacturing XEPS, the polystyrene pellets are first liquefied by mixing it with various chemicals. A blowing agent is then injected to a think liquid to allow the formation of gas bubbles. This will then pass through a shaping die for cool down and allow the panels to be ready for cutting. Compared to MEPS, the quality of XEPS is far more superior. It has higher density consistency, greater compressive strength and has good resistance against moisture absorption, thus making it ideal for the basement’s rigid foam insulation.

Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate

This type of insulation makes use of the materials found in the form of a liquid spray and rigid boards. It consists of gases in between cells with high thermal resistance. The value of this foam can be at 8 or 9 per inch but this may drop to 7 after two years as air replace the low conductivity gas that escapes from it. After that, the value may become stabilized but not if the foam gets damaged.

Rigid foam insulation can be easily installed using glues or nails. However, if you are not familiar on how it is done, you may seek the help of a professional to have the job done for you. This type of insulation usually cost higher compared to other materials like fiber. The cost usually varies depending on the thickness as well as the type of rigid foam that will be used.

Rigid foam insulation, as seen in its name, is used to insulate entire homes. Why do we say entire homes? This is due to the fact that using rigid foam insulation allows you to attach the insulation to studs. In this way, you will be able to receive continuous coverage of the insulation. You are also able to insulate headers and frames, which includes the doors and walls of the structure.

Using an insulation which excludes frames and studs means potential air leaks are present in the said areas. It also means that you are not acquiring total insulation coverage since 25% of most wall surfaces are made up of headers as well as frames (doors and windows).

Types of Rigid Foam Board Insulation

Rigid Foam Board Insulations are of three types. These are: polyisocyanurate, polystyrene, and polyurethane. Each of these has advantages not present in other types.

Polyisocyanurate—the polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation type and the polyiso foam boards are best suited for installing attic insulations. This is due to its durability and strength. It can withstand extreme temperatures. When employed with aluminium foil facing, it has a moisture barrier.

Polystyrene—this rigid foam insulation type is best suited for attic insulations and walls. It utilizes pressure and deep heat for shape molding. Even though it is the most costly among the other types, it is the strongest and most durable of all.

Bead Board—this is the last type of insulation. It creates a better insulated region due to the capability of the bead to expand. This expansion allows the bead board to fit the desired area.The spacing of the beads allows for the absorption of moisture. This rigid foam insulation type is seen in the products we use daily.

Things to Consider When Using a Rigid Foam Insulation

You should have a flame retarder. This product requires a lot for its ignition, after which, it will continue to burn steadily. Sometimes, the flame retarder will smolder. When using this product, you should be mindful of the safety regulations. You should utilize materials that are flame resistant. These flame resistant materials include dry walls, panel, as well as gypsum wall boards placed over the insulation.

Attic insulations deteriorate because of the sunlight’s direct heat. Therefore, it should be protected with rubberized paint asphalt, tar, roofing felt, or acrylic silicone. You should also utilize insulations treated with insecticide. This is due to the fact that bugs love to create nests in insulations, especially those in floors and basements. Another way to prevent bugs in the insulation is by place them in the interior or inside part.

Also, keep in mind that these insulations absorb moisture which leads damages of the wood. Absorption of moisture also leads to molds. In order to prevent this from happening, you should utilize a vapour diffusion retarder. This is best suited for attic insulations.

Rigid foam insulation requires a cheap start-up cost. You must make sure that it is properly installed as it can be counter-productive. You must also consider the safety precautions involved in this type of insulation. Before using rigid foam insulation, you should read safety precautions and code regulations for local buildings.

Rigid foam insulation is typically used to pad foundations and slabs, where it is commonly used for exterior and foundation applications. It is sprayed onto the inside surface and then steel reinforcing bars are used to fasten it to the concrete and then poured to cover the steel, all from the inside. It is usually found only in higher-end custom homes.

When this is carefully laid down over a layer of screened sand (on basement walls and exterior walls), it is found to be the best protection to use for these purposes. It is also waterproof and has high thermal rating, especially when it is sprayed on the inside surface and is sandwiched between two structural panels. It is also easy to install with nails or glue, and is very effective in applications with space limitations and where higher R-values are needed. It is often used for unfinished buildings and attics.

This is a solid type of insulative material used in almost every industry concerned with heat transfer, especially in the refrigeration industry, for its inherent efficiency and prevention of air movement. It can even be cut to the size of the cavity with a hand saw and held on with screws and plastic washers.

Unfortunately, exterior application may reduce the probability of early discovery of termites, and may inhibit treatment when discovered. The form of the application, either as foam boards placed on the exterior of a foundation or as a foam wall system, could provide a concealed entry path for termites originating from the ground.

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